DALLAS – The Max Fried sweepstakes appears to be ending with an AL East tug-of-war between the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.

Fried, the top left-handed starter left on the free-agent market, is expected to select his next team by Thursday, according to major league sources briefed on the negotiations.

Top free agent right-handed starter Corbin Burnes is believed to be drawing interest from the same three AL East clubs and perhaps the San Francisco Giants and other teams.

The Texas Rangers also remain in play for Fried, but it’s unclear whether they can invest heavily in a free agent while they wait for clarity on their future local media revenue.

Fried, a two-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove Award winner and 2021 World Series champion with the Atlanta Braves, is expected to receive a five- to six-year contract. At 30, he is just over a year younger than left-hander Blake Snell, who recently signed a five-year, $182 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Yankees, who are considering a variety of rotation, bullpen and lineup options after losing the bid for free-agent outfielder Juan Soto to the New York Mets, are on the move, according to a source with knowledge of their discussions , “completely over” Fried. The Blue Jays, desperate to continue making a splash, and the Red Sox, desperately in need of a left-handed starter, were also ruled out by Soto.

Some club officials with teams on the East Coast fear that Fried, a native of Southern California, would prefer to sign with a team in the West. But of the potential suitors, the Giants are not among the finalists for him, league sources said. Neither do the Los Angeles Angels, who are occasionally a wild card under owner Arte Moreno.

Fried, an eight-year veteran, has a career 3.07 ERA in 884 1/3 innings, all with the Braves.

—Brendan Kuty, Will Sammon and Katie Woo of The Athletic contributed to this report.

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(Top photo by Max Fried: Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images)